A Recurring Theme in Recent Horror Movies . . .

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Steel Belt
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And it detracts from the scariness of the films IMO, is sexual abuse. I'm seeing it more and more and I can almost predict without error where the film is going . . . I think the scariest horror films deal with genuine malevolence - not some underhanded moral story. Or some ghost or spirit setting right the perpetrators of sexual abuse. I don't know how many of these films are written by women, but it seems like they're some bizarre catharsis to deal with the writers' own personal demons or something . . .

Like, Silent House was one of the scariest films of the more recent ones I've seen . . . That was until I realized it was another of "oh THIS plot-line" . . . Then it was like, oh, ho-hum, victim gets vindicated, pervs exposed. Next.

It started with An American Haunting . . . The Butterfly Effect had a similar idea (though not really a horror per se) . . . There's been a lot though only a few names come to mind.

Just watched Apartment 142 (Emergo) and though yes, it had its scares, same theme . . . And I knew where it was going about 1/2 an hour into it.

IMO bring back the old horrors where there was no "message" . . . No righteous indignation. The ghost/demon is bad just because it is - and THAT's what is terror-inducing.
 
I agree. The most terrifying monsters (human or otherwise) are the ones where we never fully understand their motivation. Like storms in nature, or predators, or disease, the monster doesn't necessarily have to have a motivation or even be "evil"...it must simply be a force threatening to destroy us. Fear is intrinsic to our nature, and the most primal aspect of that programming has nothing to do with morality.
 
I'd like to see a horror meets Romcom, where a ghost comes back because he thinks he forgot to turn off the cooker but ends up falling for the new tenant. Ryan Gosling could play the ghost, Mila Kunis the hot new occupant who's already in a relationship of course, with some sort of scumbag.
 
Yeah and I noticed the trend of rehashed rape revenge films.
 
What about malevolent sexual abuse?

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Evil-Dead-tree1.jpg
 
Madmick said:
I agree. The most terrifying monsters (human or otherwise) are the ones where we never fully understand their motivation. Like storms in nature, or predators, or disease, the monster doesn't necessarily have to have a motivation or even be "evil"...it must simply be a force threatening to destroy us. Fear is intrinsic to our nature, and the most primal aspect of that programming has nothing to do with morality.
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Best description (or at least my favorite) of what a monster really is:

I admire its purity. A survivor... unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality.


-Ash, "Alien"
 
It seems like nowadays the protagonist always gets dragged into the villain's madness. There's usually sides, but the protagonist ends up turning psycho-killer to kill the psycho-killer, and the emotional trauma ends up turning said protagonist into some weirdo outsider. It's better when the protagonist is just genuinely terrified or sticking up for themselves, and they just genuinely get mentally fucked from the experience. A normal, healthy person encounters a genuine psycho.

I just don't like the fact that there's always some sort of madness that gets unlocked in the protagonist. It takes away from the horror that the psycho's madness creates.
 
Hope this goes along with the topic, but what was the general reviews for Sinister?
 
Joe McPherson said:
And it detracts from the scariness of the films IMO, is sexual abuse. I'm seeing it more and more and I can almost predict without error where the film is going . . . I think the scariest horror films deal with genuine malevolence - not some underhanded moral story. Or some ghost or spirit setting right the perpetrators of sexual abuse. I don't know how many of these films are written by women, but it seems like they're some bizarre catharsis to deal with the writers' own personal demons or something . . .

Like, Silent House was one of the scariest films of the more recent ones I've seen . . . That was until I realized it was another of "oh THIS plot-line" . . . Then it was like, oh, ho-hum, victim gets vindicated, pervs exposed. Next.

It started with An American Haunting . . . The Butterfly Effect had a similar idea (though not really a horror per se) . . . There's been a lot though only a few names come to mind.

Just watched Apartment 142 (Emergo) and though yes, it had its scares, same theme . . . And I knew where it was going about 1/2 an hour into it.

IMO bring back the old horrors where there was no "message" . . . No righteous indignation. The ghost/demon is bad just because it is - and THAT's what is terror-inducing.
Click to expand...

Nothing like some good old fashioned terror. Too much plot and not enough scarey moments makes for a long dull ride.
 
Madmick said:
I agree. The most terrifying monsters (human or otherwise) are the ones where we never fully understand their motivation. Like storms in nature, or predators, or disease, the monster doesn't necessarily have to have a motivation or even be "evil"...it must simply be a force threatening to destroy us. Fear is intrinsic to our nature, and the most primal aspect of that programming has nothing to do with morality.
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Yeah, like the little chick in The Ring - Somara. Just evil. Or Damien in The Omen.

Oops . . . Guess I didn't read your post thoroughly when I first read it. I understand and appreciate that fear you described as well.

But for me, the fear that gets to me most is simply evil evil . . . Leatherface, Jason, Sanora, Mike Myers, Freddy . . . They'll eff you up because you have a heartbeat and its what they do.
 
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MMA Maine-iac said:
Hope this goes along with the topic, but what was the general reviews for Sinister?
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I thought it was really good. After I've simmered on it it's gotten even better. I didn't care for like the last 1/2 hour or so, sort of the direction at the end. But the first 3/4 was generally awesome. I wish I had a hand in creating it because IMO a couple of little tweaks would've have made it that much better . . . Lol.

VHS was pretty good too. Those were the two best horrors Ive seen in the last year or so.
 
What bothers me sometimes isn't the motivation but "the reason". There always has to be a reason why something is there. Sometimes evil is best left unexplained.
 
I had the same thought earlier watching Lovely Molly
 
Joe McPherson said:
I thought it was really good. After I've simmered on it it's gotten even better. I didn't care for like the last 1/2 hour or so, sort of the direction at the end. But the first 3/4 was generally awesome. I wish I had a hand in creating it because IMO a couple of little tweaks would've have made it that much better . . . Lol.

VHS was pretty good too. Those were the two best horrors Ive seen in the last year or so.
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Good to know. I'm like you, I like my villain to be evil and need no other explanation. Something you can't understand is infinitely more terrifying. Too many horror movies seem to give the lead a chance to bargain with the antagonist.

The Ring is the last movie that left me a little disturbed.
 
the subtext of slashers has always been that sex is sin, and you must die for it. sex has always had a role in horror. hell even psycho had that pervy shower scene.

the shit i cant stand is the actual rapey horror. who wants to watch that shit?
 
Chernabog said:
What bothers me sometimes isn't the motivation but "the reason". There always has to be a reason why something is there. Sometimes evil is best left unexplained.
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not only that, but what you don't see. the imagination creates much scarier things than costumes and make-up can.
 
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